The tipster who claimed a videotape showed three notorious Texas fugitives partying in New York City has changed his story, sources told The Post yesterday.

Federal investigators who found the tipster – a law enforcement officer living in the Dominican Republic near the Haitian border – said he gave vague and varying tales about the mystery tape.

Sources say the tipster initially balked at talking to probers until they threatened to arrest him. He then waffled about the tape, said he did not know where it was and that it may have been made in Texas – not New York.

The investigators believe he is unreliable and probably was hoping to cash in on some of the $500,000 reward offered for the capture of the so-called “Malevolent Seven” fugitives from a Texas prison.

The tipster initially surfaced on Wednesday, telling Dominican Republic authorities about the tape.

Before he could be located and interviewed, Interpol passed along his uncorroborated information to the NYPD, prompting Police Commissioner Kerik to get the word out to that the fugitives could be in New York.

There have been scores of unfounded sightings, but police believe the fugitives are still together in Texas or have split up.

Last month, the seven pulled a brazen jailbreak, fleeing with a truckload of heavy weapons. They robbed a store and executed a cop.